The Master of Masters

Here's what the running world knows of Haile Gebrselassie. He has won two Olympic gold medals, seven world outdoor championship medals, and set dozens of world records, including what was then the marathon best of 2:03:59 in Berlin in 2008. In short, he's widely considered the greatest distance runner in history.

But few outside of Ethiopia know his business ventures nearly match his running resume. Over the past two decades, Haile & Alem International PLC, the company he founded with his wife, Alem, has built three hotels, two primary schools, six office towers, a 1,500-hectare coffee plantation and Addis Ababa's first cinema. Another subsidiary company, Marathon Motors, imports Hyundai cars to Ethiopia. And they have plans to build an SUV assembly plant in Addis. Most recently, Gebrselassie's company has begun construction of a housing and condominium complex.

Added to his business obligations, he announced via Twitter on July 10 last year that he would be running for public office. "A lot of messages in the news about me going into politics. Yes, I want to be in the parliament in 2015 to help my country to move forward," Gebrselassie told his 89,000 followers.

At last count Gebrselassie, who turned 40 last April, is employing 1,100 people, a source of satisfaction for a man who has said his foremost objective is job creation to help reduce poverty in his country.

But he hasn't abandoned his training and racing. In September, Gebrselassie ran step for step with double Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah, 30, of England and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kenenisa Bekele, 31, of Ethiopia, for 12 miles of the Bupa Great North Run half marathon. He finished third in 1:00:41, 32 seconds behind the winner, Bekele. But the performance proved that Gebrselassie is conceding nothing to time, nor to his many outside obligations.

He fits his training in on either side of a 9-to-5 workday. "For many years, I can say the last 20 years, I don't sleep after 5 o'clock in the morning," Gebrselassie says. "Even when I am in Europe, 5 o'clock is my automatic wake-up call. In Ethiopia it depends on the season. Sometimes 5:30 is OK for training, sometimes at 5:30 it is still dark."

Most of his training, in preparation for an assault on the world masters record book, takes place in the forest near his house in Ararat, which offers varying terrain. But when it's too dark for an early workout, he'll drive to Entoto, a mountainous area with trails, arriving by 6:15. He'll finish by 8:30 or 9, too late to see his four children--three daughters and a son who range in age from 7 to 16--before they leave for school. He quickly showers and has breakfast, then heads to his office.

At his office in Addis, Gebrselassie's phone rings constantly.

Jiro Mochizuki

Company headquarters are on the eighth floor of the Haile Alem Building, on Addis Ababa's busy Bole Road. Tenants below include retail shops, a bank and an Ethiopian Airways ticket office. Alem handles the finance department, while Haile is the CEO.

He's very hands-on, which was obvious on Nov. 25, when he allowed Running Times a look at his life. The waiting room outside his office is never empty, as staffers crowd around waiting to see him. Sometimes he shuffles between Alem's office and his own. His secretary has a difficult time keeping up. It is not unusual to see him surrounded by three staff members, all with different requests: signatures for checks, answers to problems. His mobile phone rings constantly, though he turns off the ringer and glances at it to see who called. "The best time for phoning me is right after training at 9 o'clock, because it's business time," he says with a laugh.

Getaneh Retta, a friend and architect who has designed all of the buildings for Gebrselassie's business ventures, drops by frequently to discuss ongoing projects. Although Retta was the best man at Gebrselassie's wedding, he doesn't get carte blanche for his building plans. "We exchange views," Gebrselassie says. "I believe in discussion. Of course sometimes I am a little bit stubborn. If I don't like something or if I don't see something good, I refuse."

At least twice a month, foreign media arrive in Addis to interview him. The interest is even higher every November, in the weeks preceding the Great Ethiopian Run, which Gebrselassie founded 13 years ago. With 37,000 runners, it is now Africa's largest road race. He is also the patron of the Addis Women First 5K, which boasts a field of 10,000 runners, and the Haile Gebrselassie Marathon, which was held for the first time last October in beautiful Lake Hawassa, where the Haile Resort Hotel is located. At each race, he is the official starter and awards presenter.

Though he has hired trustworthy managers in key positions, Gebrselassie makes occasional visits to each of his projects to check progress and keep up staff morale. The coffee plantation, which is two years away from seeing its first harvest, receives him once a year. He visits the schools once a year. He travels to the hotels--in the cities of Ziway, Shashemene and Hawassa--at least twice a month, which requires overnight stays.

When he's in Addis, because it is often dark after his workday ends, he goes down to the Alem Gym in the basement of the building for a second workout. He runs for an hour on the treadmill, lifts some weights or occasionally rides a stationary bike.

Evenings are family time for Gebrselassie and his four children.

Jiro Mochizuki

"I finish my training in the gym by 7 o'clock, sometimes earlier, then I go quickly to my house," he says. "That is the only time I don't answer any phone. I put my phone upstairs where it's charging. Many people know already Haile Gebrselassie doesn't talk to anybody in the evening." That time is sacred for his children, before they go to sleep. "You see, my kids are growing," he says. "My oldest daughter is big now. I have to have time for them--otherwise they start to criticize. Even some time they might forget my face."

Gebrselassie laughs as he says it. With his limitless commitment to Ethiopia, it's unlikely his children--or any of his compatriots--will forget his face.

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